Odisha: Six more districts to get student traffic volunteers

Bhubaneswar: Soon, student traffic volunteers will be deployed in six more districts in Odisha, a top police official said today.

The Student Traffic Volunteer Scholarship Scheme (STVSS), which was first implemented with the commissionerate police system – Cuttack and Bhubaneswar – later extended to five other districts in the State earlier this year.

Pleased with the successful implementation of the scheme in these areas, the State government has decided to extend the facility to six more districts. These are Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Koraput, Puri and Khurda, he said.

As per the decision, as many as 50 student traffic volunteers will be engaged in each of these six districts in the first phase.

“On the basis of our proposal, the State government has agreed to extend the student traffic volunteer scheme to six new districts,” said ADG, Crime Branch, Santosh Upadhyay.

He also said that very soon they will select such students and provide training to make them ready for the job.

The students are being imparted training on basic road signs, the Motor Vehicles Act and violations under the Odisha Urban Police Act, said a senior official of the Cuttack Traffic Wing.

They will be provided special dress, cap and the remuneration will be Rs 100 per day for a minimum of three hours of duty.

According to the top cop, the government has decided to double the current strength of the student traffic volunteer scheme of the districts where it is already introduced.

Insurance facilities will be provided to the student traffic volunteers, he added.

The scheme, which was launched in the twin city of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in January last year, encourages college and university students to assist traffic cops in managing traffic at major junctions.

Besides, the purpose of the programme is to overcome the staff shortage problem of the traffic department and helping students to become self-reliant, a senior police official said.